A friend of mine had asked for book recommendations today. He asked if I had any suggestions and whether I listed those recommendations on my website. I decided it would be worthwhile to again offer some brief reviews of books read recently. Though my reading has become less voracious, I still make it through a fair amount. I will try to catch up with a few.
I received a free copy of John MacArthur: Servant and the Word and Flock (Iain Murray, 2011) from Grace to You, the ministry of John MacArthur. This biography is the first written about John MacArthur, though I suspect it will not be the last. Murray wrote this biography similar to his other biographies, without interviewing the author. This allowed for a degree of objectivity and a revelation of the man through his published works and what others have had to say about him.
Unlike many modern celebrities, John MacArthur is not flashy. His power comes from his commitment to preaching the Word of God faithfully, week after week. As this book reveals, he has faced a fair amount of criticism and fire from the media and other fronts, yet for decades, he has remained faithfully dedicated to scripture. In fact, he has just finished preaching through the entire New Testament verse by verse, which took 30 years.
Despite his abundant accomplishments, his sole desire is to point others to Christ. In the 1960's, he worked with several African-American churches in the South at a time when segregation was rampant. He has remained committed to justice and to loving God's people.
Murray provides a brief summary of MacArthur's life. I have gained a deeper insight into the man whose works have played an increasingly important role in my own spiritual development. 4 stars.
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